New Delhi, June 14: The Secretary General of the Archery Association of India (AAI), Virender Sachdeva, has praised Dheeraj Bomma Devara and Kumkum Mohod for their remarkable achievement. The duo clinched the gold medal in the recurve mixed team event at the Archery World Cup in Antalya, defeating the Olympic champions from South Korea in the final.
Virender Sachdeva expressed his admiration on X, stating, “India is once again making its mark on the world stage. Congratulations to Dheeraj and Kumkum for winning the recurve mixed team gold medal at the Antalya World Cup. Defeating the Olympic champions is a testament to their extraordinary talent, patience, and strong determination.”
He further added, “This outstanding success showcases the growing strength, resilience, and world-class potential of Indian archery. I wish our archers continued success as they aim for even greater heights on the global platform.”
The Indian pair delivered a stellar performance on Sunday, winning a closely contested match against Oh Ye-jin and Kim Je-deok with a score of 5-1. Dheeraj and Kumkum triumphed over Kim Je-deok and Oh Ye-jin with scores of 5-1 (37-36, 37-36, 39-39).
The 24-year-old Dheeraj and 17-year-old Kumkum maintained their composure throughout the match. Dheeraj, ranked 16th globally, concluded the match with a perfect score of 10 on his final arrow. Kumkum scored three 9s, while Dheeraj added two 9s and one 8, demonstrating excellent teamwork. This victory marks their first World Cup mixed team gold medal.
Previously, Dheeraj had won bronze medals in mixed team events with Ankita Bhakt in 2024 and Bhajan Kaur in 2025. With this victory over South Korea, he finally secured a gold medal at the World Cup. Kumkum has now won back-to-back World Cup gold medals, having been part of the Indian women’s recurve team that triumphed in Shanghai last month, where she clinched victory against China in a shoot-off with her final arrow.
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